


An Almost Perfect Love Triangle

by incredibly_cold, montynavarrno



Series: Hamfam: AU of the AU [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7725313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incredibly_cold/pseuds/incredibly_cold, https://archiveofourown.org/users/montynavarrno/pseuds/montynavarrno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex loves John. Alex loves Eliza. Eliza and John love each other too, but it's not how Alex loves them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Almost Perfect Love Triangle

**Author's Note:**

> John Laurens was super gay. If he lived he probably wouldn't have had sex with Eliza. Queer platonic partnerships are important too. Anyway, I wanted this AU and I decided to write it myself. It's a nice distraction from my actual real life duties I should be doing.

Thank god for Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.

If it wasn't for him, John probably wouldn't be married to his husband. And John liked being married to his husband. It meant that they could live together and have pet turtles. It also meant that John got to live with his best friend, who also happened to be his husband's girlfriend.

That was where he lost most people.

John Laurens was happily married to Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton was very in love with John, and also very in love with Eliza Schuyler. Eliza and John were best friends who also went on platonic dates and lived together and dated the same man.

It was a good system for them.

* * *

 

The trio started after a miscommunication between Alex and John. It was a simple misunderstanding. It left a lot of feelings hurt at the time, but it worked out in the end. 

The miscommunication revolved around John thinking he was dating Alex and Alex thinking it was just a fling and then Alex falling in love with Eliza and that hurting John's feelings.

Eventually John and Alex's friends knocked their heads together and made Alex see that he was hurting John. Alex and Eliza had an amicable breakup and then Alex and John were happily dating.

John was happier than Alex.

Alex wouldn't admit it, but he was still in love with Eliza. John could see it in his eyes. Alex got the same look in his eyes when he talked about Eliza every time. He was clearly in love with her.

And it was killing John. It hurt him to look at Alex when Alex talked about Eliza. John couldn't stand the fact that he was making Alex unhappy. But he didn't want to stop dating Alex. He loved Alex. He knew Alex loved him. So he kept his feelings to himself.

Then one night those feelings poured out of him when he was talking to Lafayette over a couple of pints of Sam Adams.

"It's killing me. He's not happy. Not with me. He loves Eliza. He looks at her like she hung the stars in the sky. She's pure and sweet. She's not like me. He deserves someone better than me. I can't make him happy," John said mournfully. 

"John, mon ami, he looks at you the same way," Lafayette said.

"Oh," said John. He was quiet for a second as he contemplated this piece of information. "Then why does he look at her like that too? If he's in love with me, why is he in love with her too?"

"Have you ever heard of polyamory?" asked Lafayette suddenly.

John nodded. "I've heard of it, yeah. I'm not entirely sure what it is though."

Lafayette leaned back in his seat a little bit. "Polyamorous people often fall in love with several people at once. Often times they date numerous people."

John leaned forward in his chair. "How does dating several people work?"

"It can work in several different ways. Sometimes every person involved will all be dating each other. Other times they'll be dating the just one person in the group, making that person a vee, so to speak. It depends on the individuals involved. And the relationships involve a lot of negotiation. Communication is especially important, but of course communication is important in all relationships."

"Do you- do you think Alex is polyamorous?" 

Lafayette looked at John for a moment, and then nodded his head. "I think he might be, yes. But it is up to you to talk to him about this. He may not want to engage in a poly relationship, regardless of his feelings."

John leaned back in his chair, digesting the new information he had learned. He resolved to talk to Alex about it in the near future. 

* * *

The near future, as it turned out, was the next day.

While John had gone out to drink with Lafayette, Alex had gone to hang out with the Schuyler siblings. Apparently they had gone and walked around Glen Park. Angelica and Peggy had been chased by many geese. Alex and Eliza, instead of helping them, just laughed as the other two screamed bloody murder and ran away from the geese. 

Alex was recounting the tale to John, while imitating Eliza. "And then Eliza screams 'GET THEM, MY PRETTIES! FLY! FLYYYY' and it's in this perfect imitation of the Wicked Witch, you know? And at this point I'm on the ground laughing and Angelica is screaming and Peggy is trying to beat back the geese by throwing pinecones and-"

It was at that moment John couldn't take it anymore. He had been sitting and listening to this story, but he couldn't remember for the life of him what Alex was talking about. John only wanted to know one thing. "Alex, are you in love with Eliza?"

Alex stopped in the middle of his story. "What?'

"Are you in love with Eliza?"

"John, I'm dating you. Why would you ask me that question?"

"Because you talk about her all the time and you look at her like she hung the moon and stars and you deserve to be happy. If you love her, go get her. I love you too much to stand in your way of true love." 

Alex was very quiet after John's outburst. There was a silence for several moments between the two. Then Alex broke it. "John, I love you."

"But you love Eliza too."

Alex rubbed his hand over his face. "Yes. God help and forgive me, I love Eliza too. But we're in a relationship. I can't have both of you. And I can't lose you."

Now it was John's turn to be quiet. He tried valiantly to think of a good way to phrase what he was about to say. He couldn't come up with anything, so he just went for it. "What if you could have both of us?"

For the first time since the conversation had started, Alex looked directly at John. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean that you date both of us. Like a poly relationship."

Alex looked at John some more. "I didn't think you knew anything about poly relationships."

"I don't really. I was talking to Laf about this... situation and he explained it very briefly. I think it could work. Maybe. I don't know. But I want you to be happy. And if this is the way to do it, then I'm willing to give it a shot."

"John, you don't have to. I'm fine with just being with you."

"Alex. Let's talk to Eliza about it. I mean, Eliza and I are sort of friends anyway. It could work."

* * *

 "Sort of friends" may not have been the right word to describe John and Eliza's relationship.

John couldn't speak for Eliza, but he maybe wasn't as polite as he could have been. It wasn't like he and Eliza had hung out enough to really know each other's mannerisms that well.

Despite some colder than normal tones, the conversation went well. Eliza was open to the poly relationship. The negotiations were the hardest part.

Alex was adamant right off the bat that everyone had to be happy. He didn't want to make any of them upset. So they decided that if someone wasn't happy, everyone took a break from the relationship. They would all have two weeks to try and figure out what was making them unhappy, and how to fix it. However, not every disagreement had to end with taking a break. Anybody involved in the relationship could bring forward a problem at any time, and they would sit  down and fix it then. If the problem couldn't be fixed then, then the "take a break" rule would occur, but with a lesser time frame if everybody wished.

The other problems to be negotiated out involved the dates, and as would often result from the dates, sex. They worked out a date agreement where Alex went on two dates a week with Eliza, and two dates a week with John. Dates were defined as anything non-school related without other friends. For example, if Alex and Eliza decided to go to the movies without Lafayette or Hercules or another friend, it was a date. If someone else went with them, then it wasn't a date. They also decided that going to coffee shops didn't count, because all three of them were caffeine-addicted college students and it'd honestly just be cruel to deny any of the three of them to go out and get coffee with one another. 

Sex was the one thing where not a lot of negotiation was to be had. They all agreed automatically that protection was to be used at all times. If unprotected sex were to happen, then all parties would be informed immediately. They all also agreed to go and get tested at clinic, even though they were all fairly sure they were clean. Sex was typically supposed to happen after the dates. However, all of them were willing to check in with each other to see if it was okay if they had sex outside of dates. As Eliza put it, "There's going to be a week every month where I am not going to want sex. As long as you're checking in with me, I'm fine with you two having sex outside of date nights."

John was also willing to let Alex have sex with Eliza outside of dates. He didn't have a sex drive as high as Alex's. It was a fact. As long as Alex checked and used protection he was fine.

The oddest part of the negotiation was the group dates. Alex wanted them to go on a group date every other week so that John and Eliza could get to know each other better, and they could be assured that things were still going well. Alex also said that he was maybe a little bit petty and wanted people to see him with the two prettiest people on campus. And if John and Eliza blushed at that, well, none of them would say anything.

The worst part of the negotiation was Eliza asking if the group date was expected to end in sex. Alex looked to John for him to explain. 

"Well," John said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "The thing is, I'm really asexual. Or, well, something like that. Alex is the only person I've ever been sexually attracted to. I don't know if that'll change in the future. But for right now, is it okay to say that group dates don't end in sex?"

"Of course it's okay John. This relationship is set by boundaries, and the idea that we'll respect them and trust others to respect them. If you ever feel like you want to change those particular boundaries, then let us know and we can renegotiate," Eliza said, looking shocked that John would be worried that they would't respect his boundaries. 

John let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I wasn't sure what you were expecting of me."

"It's no problem. Is there anything else we need to talk about?" 

"Well, if there is, we can talk about it later." Alex stood and stretched as he spoke. "If we're all in agreement that this relationship is a thing now, I'd like to christen it by taking you all out to see the new X-Men movie."

John and Eliza shared a fond look. Their Alex (and wasn't that weird, John mused. Alex wasn't just his anymore) was such a nerd.

* * *

All things considered, the first three months of their relationship went really well. There were of course some minor bumps along the road, but they were easily smoothed over. Most of them just came from trying to figure out a new relationship status. 

It was group date night. The three of them were going out to see the new Ghostbusters movie together. John was in charge of getting the tickets and Eliza and Alex were in charge of the snacks. It promised to be a great night.

And then Alex didn't show up. 

It was almost time for the movie to start, and Alex wasn't at the movie theater. He wasn't answering texts or calls. Both Eliza and John were worried until Eliza remembered that Alex had had a meeting with Washington that day and it probably just ran over time.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" John asked.

Eliza thought for a second. "Well, we already have tickets and snacks. Why don't we just go ahead and watch the movie together?"

John was a little bit apprehensive. He and Eliza hadn't really hung out together outside of the other group dates. But what harm could it do? It was just a movie after all. 

"Sounds like a plan. But what do I do with this third ticket?" he asked.

"Go out and give it someone waiting in line. Make karma your bitch."

"Midterms are coming up. I need all help I can get."

"Don't we all."

* * *

It turned out that Alex missing the movie might have been the best thing for their relationship. John and Eliza found a new friend within each other that night. They laughed at the same parts of the movie, and agreed that it was nice to see a more diverse cast than the typical movie. That turned into a discussion about diversifying more movies, and musicals, and plays, which somehow turned into a discussion about feminism, which somehow just turned into them talking about whatever came to mind. So engrossed in conversation were they that they somehow managed to miss Alex coming into the room, which neither of them remembered coming to since they had just walked in during their conversation. 

Alex was very pleased by this turn of events.

They all agreed to do group dates more often.

* * *

After a year of this relationship, John was confused.

He had some sort of feelings for Eliza. 

This wasn't part of the plan.

He had first noticed his feelings after the second major event in their relationship. Alex had passed out from overwork, and it threw both Eliza and John into a panic. They all sat down after Alex was released from the hospital with a new anti-anxiety medication and strict orders to sleep and eat more. 

"Alex, you can't do this to yourself. That's how you'll end up with an early death."

This was essentially what they both said. Alex agreed to take better care of himself, and in a rare show of vulnerability, asked them for help. They, of course, agreed.

So John and Eliza went out for coffee to discuss a plan of action to help Alex. But as they sat down with their coffee, John was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.

"I always thought I'd be the one to leave us first."

"John? What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when I got shot?"

"Vividly," Eliza said dryly. "Not like it nearly put Alex and I in the hospital as well from the worrying we did over you."

John flinched at that. "Yes. Well. I just always thought that that would be the only thing we had to worry about. Me and my tendencies to fight. I thought Alex was doing better. I should have been watching him more carefully and then maybe he wouldn't have collapsed from exhaustion and-"

Eliza cut him off. "John. This wasn't your fault. And if it was, then I would have just as much of the blame. Alex doesn't blame you. I don't blame you.  _It wasn't your fault_."

The passion in her voice threw John a little bit. Reeling a bit, the only thing that came out his mouth was "Can I kiss you?"

Now it was Eliza's turn to be thrown. "What?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"John, I'm not saying no. Not right at this moment anyway. I just want to know why first."

John sighed. "I don't know really. It's hard to explain. Recently I've just been wanting to be close to you and be around you all the time. I don't know if it's love. It doesn't feel like it does with Alex. But I mean, you're a different person. It stands to reason that maybe being in love with you is different too."

Eliza smiled at him. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way. Yes John, you can kiss me. Maybe it's time to make a change to our relationship status."

There was a moment of silence between them. And another. And then John threw caution to the wind, and leaned in. Their lips touched.

"Yeah okay, I'm still gay."

"I'm that bad of a kisser, huh?"

"What? No! It's just... I think I was wrong. About being in love with you. But these feelings are still there and I don't have a name for them and I just want to know what's happening!"

"John, you need to calm down. There's probably an answer to this. Maybe it happens in poly relationships. Let's ask Lafayette. He's like the god of relationships or something."

* * *

"Queer platonic partnership."

"What?"

Lafayette looked at them. "Queer platonic partnership. It's like hardcore friend dating essentially. Like a next level best friendship. It's like dating without dating."

"Oh." John sat back. Is that what it was?

Eliza leaned forward. "So it's like a friendship with feelings, but not like how feelings are feelings?"

"... Yes?" Lafayette looked at them again. "That is what you are describing to me. Now who is it? Who is having these feelings? Is it Theodosia and Aaron? It has to be. Mes amies, you cannot leave me- how you say?- hanging."

"Laf, I swear we'll tell you soon. We just... have to take this information back to the people who want it before we say anything." John said in a rush.

Lafayette glared at them. "I will hold you to that. Now go. Tell your friends what you have learned."

Eliza and John thanked him and practically ran to John and Alex's dorm room.

"Alex!" John shouted as he ran into his room.

"John!" 

"Be quiet you two, this is important!" Eliza snapped at them, obviously impatient. 

Alex instantly looked worried. "What's important?" he asked.

"It's nothing bad. We promise. We just want to make some changes to our relationship." Eliza said.

Despite the fact that Eliza had said it was nothing bad, Alex still jumped to the worst possible conclusion. "Oh god, we're breaking up aren't we. I'm sorry I'm such a selfish asshole, I can't just date one person like a normal human being-"

John cut him off. "Alex. We aren't breaking up. If anything, we're making this relationship closer and more permanent. You see," and here he broke off, turning to look at Eliza, "Eliza and I are pretty sure we're actually queer platonic partners. Not just friends."

Alex jumped up off the bed where he was sitting. "Are you kidding? That's amazing!"

"You already know what a queer platonic partner is?" she asked.

"Yeah! My friend Jay is actually in a queer platonic partnership with one of their friends. They explained it to me a while back. It's a pretty neat concept. I like the idea of friend dating." 

John grinned. "So you're cool with all of this?"

"Cool with it isn't a good enough descriptor. Ecstatic is probably the word I'm feeling about this." Alex beamed at both of them. Then he gasped.

"What is it?" Eliza and John asked at the same time.

"We've nearly accomplished what almost every YA novel tries to do. We have a love triangle, not just a love angle. Well," he amended his statement slightly, "We have an almost perfect love triangle."

John and Eliza laughed. 

* * *

Things only progressed from there. Eventually, they graduated from college and got a house together. John's favorite things about the new house was the extra large couch and bed they got. There was nothing John loved more than to cuddle up with the two people he loved most.

And he did love Eliza. It just wasn't in the same way he loved Alex. It was nice to have a relationship where he didn't have to do all of the romantic aspects. He loved those aspects, but it was nice to just have Eliza.

He and Eliza never had sex. They didn't even try. They liked where they were at in their relationship. All three of them hated the fact that one of the first questions people asked was usually about the sexual side of their relationship. That was private, and people should know that you don't have to have sex to have a meaningful relationship. 

They even raised children together. Oddly enough, their first child, Philip, looked almost exactly like John. They suspected that was one of the reasons why people assumed John and Eliza had had sex at some point. It didn't matter who the biological father was. John was Philip's father too. 

Their relationship wasn't what John had expected in his life. But he wouldn't trade it for the whole world. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Holy shit I think this is the longest thing I've ever written. It's a good thing though. I need more queer platonic John and Eliza in my life.


End file.
